Cooch Behar killings: Central forces fired at queue of voters, not a mobâ
Contrary to news reports, villagers in Jorpatki claim the central forces fired into voters lined up at Booth 126 and killed four men. CISF denies the allegations.
14 Apr, 2021
Thereâs seething anger against the media at Jorpatki village in Bengalâs Sitalkuchi assembly constituency in Cooch Behar. Here, four men were killed in
firing by the Central Industrial Security Force on April 10 and their families have an alarming allegation to make: that the
Kendra Vahini, meaning central forces, shot at villagers lined up to vote at Booth 126, without reason. There was no mob that attacked the CISF as media reports have claimed, they say. And their allegations have gone mostly unreported so far.
SANTIPUR (WB), Apr 11: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that her advice to gherao central forces had instigated people to attack CISF in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi that led to four deaths in firing by security personnel.
He also accused the TMC supremo of doing appeasement politics even in case of deaths.
“Mamata Banerjee had advised people to gherao central forces. Is that not responsible for the deaths in Sitalkuchi? Her advice had instigated the people to attack the CISF,” Shah told reporters after a roadshow in Santipur in Nadia district.
Home minister and Amit Shah takes part in a roadshow during the ongoing West Bengal s assembly elections in Siliguri on Monday.
NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday claimed that the BJP was leading in more than 92 of the 135 constituencies which have gone to polls in the four phases of elections so far. He also said the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would not have any impact on the Gorkhas.
Addressing a public meeting at Dhupguri assembly constituency in North Bengals Jalpaiguri district, which goes to polls in the fifth phase on April 17, Shah said, In the four phases of elections held so far in West Bengal, the BJP is ahead in over 92 seats.
Sitalkuchi, largely an agrarian region, dominated by tobacco farmers with some wealthy ones and some migrants, has seen violence in the recent past. A young couple was harassed by TMC workers outside the polling booth in April 2019. There were two attacks on state BJP president Dilip Ghosh –– one before his rath yatra in December 2018 and one a week ago. But there have been none like the violent clashes on Saturday that experts say threatens to polarise the state further.
Sitalkuchi has among the highest percentage of Muslims (36%) in Cooch Behar, only next to Dinhata where MP Nisith Pramanik is the BJP candidate, apart from Rajbhongshis (50%). The Rajbongshis are the third-largest Hindu caste in Bengal constituting 28% of the total population, but account for 60% of the rural population of North Bengal and claim to be the ‘earliest settlers’.
BJP ahead in 92 of 135 seats after four phases of poll in Bengal: Shah
BJP ahead in 92 of 135 seats after four phases of poll in Bengal: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a roadshow in Siliguri claimed that the BJP is ahead in 92 of the 135 seats that went to polls in the first four phases of the West Bengal assembly elections.
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UPDATED: April 14, 2021 00:16 IST
Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader during an election campaign rally in support of party candidates in Siliguri (Picture Credits: AFP)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asserted that the BJP is ahead in 92 of the 135 seats that went to polls in the first four phases of the West Bengal assembly elections, and asked people to give a grand farewell to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by handing over 200 plus seats to the saffron party.